Sound-producing device



7 Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,497

L. J. GRUBMAN v SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE Filed Dec. 15, 1924 4 I "HQ: )1

INVENTCR Zffi-I firzzmaw A 144: ATTORNEY ill) Federated Dec. 27, 1921?.

res n? rrics.

PATENT LEO J. GRUBMAN, =01? NEW YORK, N. Y, ASSIGNOR TO VOICES, rnooRronATEn, or

NEWARK, NEV-f JERSEY, A OORPORATIGN or DELAWARE. v

SOUIQDEBODUCING DEVICE.

Application filedDecember 15, 1924. Serial No. 755,896.

T his. invention relates to sound producing devices, and more part'cularly to a device adapted to be incorporated within the body of a doll or other toy, for simulating a characteristic cry thereof, such, for instance, as the word ma ma.

Prior inventors in the art have suggested various dili'erent devices for securing the des redarticulation of the emitted sound. 1 he modern sound producing device, or voice, as it has come to be known in the trade, is provided with a cylindrical chamber, and means for expelling air therefrom through a sound producing reed, usually cons g of a weighted head fixed to one end of a ilexIble collapsible bellows wall. invariably, such devices as are now known in the art, having means for articulating the sound produced, include a relatively stationary part or member independentcf the bellows head and cooperating with valve means on said head. Some of these prior art devices are uncertain in operation, and they ar all com )araftively c stly to produce. It is accordingly the primary object of my present improvements to materially simplify and thereby reduce the manufacturing cost of such articulative sound producing devices, To this end, my in'iproven'ients herein broadly comprehend the provision of what may be aptly termed a self-acting sound emission control means carried by the weighty airex pelling member and automatically operative, independently of any-other or additional ac- [mating means, during the air expelling movement of said member, to effect a proper articulation of the emitted sound.

it is another object of my present invention to provide a self-acting automatic sound emission control valve on the gravity movable air expelling mei'nber, which is in the form of a very simple metal stamping.

More particularly, in one practical. embodiment of the invention, 1 provide a selfacting sound emission control valve,mounted upon themovable air expelling member for 'ravity movement about a pivot or axis dis Josed at right angles to the path of movement of said member, said valve moving through a sound escape opening in one wall of said member and being provided with spaced apertures to coincide-with said openmg and varythe vvolume of the sound emitted.

It also the purpose of my invention to provide an articulating means for 'such sound producing device which is capable of very quick and accurate assemblage in operative relationwith the movable bellows head or air expelling member. s i

I With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved sound producingdevices and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in' the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. 1

Referring in detail to the drawing wherein l have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts through the several views v I Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with my present improvements and showing the weighted air expelling member positioned at the start of its operative movement,

Figure 2 is a similar showing an intermediate pos1t1on of said weighted member,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the weighted member at the end of its air expelling movement, and I F ig'ure l is a horizontal sectional view taken onthe line t d of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have shown a --p referre :l practical embodiment'of my present improven'ients, the operative parts of the device are preferably mounted withina housing or casmghaving a body wall which nay consist of a section of a cardboard tube. The sheet. metal caps-6 and 7 respectively are ei'igaged over the opposite ends of this tubular casing wall and may be permanently fixed thereon in any preferred manner.

l/Vithin the casing or housing there is provided an air receiving chamber which, in the v present embodiment ofthe invention, consists pels the airunder pressure from the bellows chamber. As herein shown, this weighty air expelling member includes a heavy metal body 9, said body being hollow to provide a sound receiving chamber 10, one side of which is closed by the disc 11, which is engaged within the other end of the tubular flexible bellows wall 8 and frictionally clamps or binds the end edge oi the bellows wall against the. surfaces of an annular rabbet or recess 12 surrounding the sound re ceiving chamber 10. This disc 11 carries a suitable sound producing reed, generally indicated at 13, which projects into the chamber 10. The opposite side of this chamber, opposed to the end cap 7 of the casing, is closed by the wall 14. This wall is also integrally connected with the body wall of the member 9 by a radially extending web 15. This web terminates at its inner end in line with the axial center olhthe body member 9 and is provided with a slot or recess 16 therein in radial alignment with a sound emission or escape opening 17 provided in the wall 14.

For the purpose of controlling the emission of sound from the chamber 10 through the opening or aperture 17, and effecting the proper articulation thereof, in the present instance, I provide a valve plate 18 pivotally mounted or supported between spaced cars 19 on the member 9 by the pin 20. This valve plate is in the form of a section of a disc which is of slightly less thickness than the width of the recess 16 and the slot or opening 17 so that said valve plate has free roclcing motion through said recess and opening. At one side of its pivotal axis, the plate 18 is provided with spaced openings 21 and 22 of relatively different widths which are adapted to cooperate with the slot or aperture 17 to articulate the sound, in the manner which will presently beexplained. By the provision of these openings 21 and 22, it

i will be apparent that considerable material is removed so that the remaining portion of the plate extending on the opposite side ot the pivot pin 20, acts as a counterbalance and operates by gravity to normally disposesaid plate in a predetermined position with respect to the wall 14 of the member 9, substantially as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

One end of the gravity movable valve plate 18, adjacent to the opening 17 therein, is provided with a transversely extending stop pin 23 which is adapted to engage the wall 14- and limit the turning or rotational movement of said valve plate when the device is inverted from the position illustrated in Fig ure 3.

. The other end cap 7 of the casing or hus ing is provided with the usual sound escape openings 24 therein. 7

In the operation of the device, assuming that the air expelling member or head of the collapsible bellows is in the position shown in Figure 1, at the start of its air expelling movement, it will be observed that one end of the valve plate 18 is in contact with the end plate or cap 7 of the casing and the open ings 21 and 22 in said plate are located entirely within the sound chamber 10. During the initial part of the air expelling movement of the bellows head, the sound produced by the reed l3 escapes from the chamber in relatively small volume through the narrow crevice or passage between the opposite sides of the valve plate and the edges of the slot or opening 17 and simulates the phonetic articulation of the letter in. As the air expelling member continues its gravity movement, progressively therewith, the valve plate 18 also moves or rocks upon the pin by the action of gravity, maintaining one end thereof: in contact with the metal cap 7. ln this rocking movement of the valve plate, the relatively narrow opening 21 therein is brought into registering relation with the slot 17 and connects the sound chamber 10 with the space exteriorly of the air expelling member through the slot 17, thus causing the sound to be emit ed from said chamber 7 ingi'eater volume and thereby simulating;-

expelling movement of the bellows head, said valve plate continues its gravity swinging movementso that the second larger opening 22 therein registers with the slot 17 and emits the sound in larger volume from the chamber 10, until the air expelling member or head reaches its final position of rest, and the bellows is fully collapsed, thus effecting a rela t ivszly prolonged sounding oil: the final letter In this manner, it will be. understood that the device, herein describei'l, is capable of simulating in a veri realis i manner, the

phonetic articulation of the word ma ma.

In the claims appended to this description, I have employed the expressions self act ing sound emission control means or self acting valve means, and siichdelinitive expressions are to be construed and understood as meaning an automatically acting'valve means or device, wherein said means or device is so constructed, mounted or arranged as to provide within itself the necessary force for the operation thereot, whereby the proper articulation of the sound is eftional means to effect the proper actuation thereof in the progressive gravity movement of the air expelling member, whereby proper articulation of the sound may be produced.

It is accordingly to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanving drawing, are to be considered as merely illustrative of one practical example of my present improvements. However, it may be clearly under-stood that I do not consider myself as necessarily limited to, such speciiic form of this self-actingsound emission control valve, Further, the described construction of the air expelling member or gravity movable bellows head, as well as the mounting and arrangement of the reed may be variously modified, and as to such de tails I also reservethe privilege of adopting all such legitimate modifications thereof, as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamher, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and self acting sound emission control means carried by said memher and continuously movable relative thereto in one direction during a portion of the air expelling movement of said member to effect an articulated emission of the sound produced by said reed.

2. In a soundproducing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamher, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and a single gravity con trolled valve element carried by said member and continuously movable in one direction independently thereof during the air expelling movement of said member to effect an interrupt-ed emission of the sound produced by said reed.

8. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber, a sound producing reed through which the air is expelled, and a pivotally mounted valve plate having continuous gravity move- It is ment during a part of the air expelling movement of said member to interrupt the emission of sound and effect an articulated emission of the sound produced by said reed.

4:. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber, said member having a sound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emitted into the latter chamber, and self acting valve means carried by said member and moving through said opening in the air expelling movement of said member to control the passage of sound therethrough and effect an articulated emission of the sound.

.5. In a sound producing device, an air.

therethrough.

6. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber, said member having a sound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emit-ted into'the latter chamber, and an independently operating gravity controlled valve element carried by said head and movable through said sound emission opening to control the'passage of sound therethrough and efiiect an articulated emission of the sound.

7.'In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber, said member having a sound receiving chamber and. an emission openingin one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emitted into the latter chamber, and a. gravity controlled valve plate carried by said member and progressively movable through said sound emission opening independently of said member and in a plane parallel withthe direction of movement there-of to effect an articulated emission of the sound.

8. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said {chant ber, said member having a sound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emitted into the ltin latter chamber, and an independently movable gravity controlled valve plate pivotally mounted upon said member and progressively movable through said sound emission opening to effect an articulated emission of the sound.

9. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air from said chamber, said member having a sound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emitted into the latter chamber, and an independently movable gravity controlled valve plate pivotally mounted. upon said member for movement through said sound emission opening, ,aid valve plate having spaced openings therein cooperating with said sound emission opening to eitl'ect an articulated emission of the sound. a

10. in a sound producing device, an air chamber and a weighty gravity movable member for expelling air tromsaid chamber, said member having asound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, a sound producing reed through which the expelled air is emitted into the latter chamber, an independently movable gravity controlled valve member positioned through said sound emission opening, and relatively stationary means with which said member eoacts to retard and progressively control the gravity movement of said valve member during a part of the movement of said air expelling member and -thereby effect the articulation of sound through said sound emission opening.

11 In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a movable member closing one end of said chamber, a sounding reed operated by the passage of air therethrough in the movement oi said member, and means,

tor controlling the emission of sound produeed by said reed including a valve element having independent continuous movement in one dir ction during the movement of said member and provided with means operable during movement of the movable member in one direction to repeatedly interrupt the on of the sound. 12. in a sound producing device, an air chamber and a movable member closing one end of said chamber, a sounding reed operated by the passage of air therethroughin the movement of said member, and means for controlling the emission of sound produced by said reed including a valve plate pivotally mounted for continuous movement in one direction in a planetary path during movement of said member and provided with means for repeatedlyinterrupting the emission of the sound during such movement thereof. p

13. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a movable member closing one end of said chamber, a sounding reed operated by the low of air in the movement of said member, saidmember being provided with a sound receiving chamber having an emission opening in one wall. thereof, and sound emission control means including an independently movable valve element positioned in said opening and having spaced means successively passing through said opening to interrupt the emission of the sound. i

14. In a sound producing device, an air chamber and a movable member closing one end of said chamber, a sounding reed operated by the 'tloW of air in the movement of said, member, said member having a sound receiving chamber and an emission opening in one wall thereof, and a relatively movable valve element positioned in a plane at right angles to the plane of said wall and having spaced means successively passing through said emission opening during the movement of said valve element in one direction to interrupt the emission of the sound.

15. Ina sound producing device, an air chamber and a movable member closing one end of said chamber, a soundin reed operated by the flow'of air in the movement of said 7 member, said member having a'sound receiving chamber provided with an emission opening in one wall thereof, and a counterbalancedvalve plate pivotally mounted upon said member for continuous gravity movementin one direction with respect thereto through said sound emission opening and having means to repeatedly interrupt the emission of sound from said opening. v p In testimony that I clain' the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name hereto.

' LEO J. GRUBMAN. 

